VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH AN GIANG UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES ENGLISH LEARNING MENTORING AND NEWS TRANSLATING AT AN GIANG UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FULL NAME: TRU
Location and contacts
Address: 18 Ung Van Khiem street, Dong Xuyen District, Long Xuyen city, An Giang province
Email: lib@agu.edu.vn
History of An Giang University Library
An Giang University Library was established in 1976 as part of the College of Pedagogy An Giang, following the merger of An Giang Teachers’ College and An Giang Pedagogy in 1975 At its inception, the library was associated with the Training Department of An Giang and was staffed by just three officers.
In January 2002, the Library was restructured into An Giang University Library, officially opening on September 16, 2002, under the management of the Board Director Shortly thereafter, on September 20 of the same year, the Library moved to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors of the Central Library at An Giang University Since 2015, AGU Library has focused on enhancing its human resources and facilities to improve the training quality at An Giang University.
The Library is dedicated to supporting An Giang University's mission of becoming a trusted institution for human resources education and training, aligning with the socio-economic development needs of both the province and the region.
Missions
The AGU Library serves as a strategic advisor to the Board of Directors, assisting in the formulation of both long-term and short-term planning Additionally, it plays a crucial role in organizing and coordinating the library's documents and information systems.
AGU Library completes, develops the national and international information resources in order to meet the need of education, study, research and technology transfer
The Library collects published documents and accepted scientific researches by
AGU, education programs, curriculums, other universities documents, sponsored books and exchange documents between libraries
Organizes and offers guidance to readers for effective search, exploit document sources and information services through legally suitable form of service.
An Giang University Library staff
Picture 3: Division of Technical Support (IT) Picture 2: The Division of Service
Picture 4 : Division of Aquisition and Cataloguing
Resources
Third floor
● Stack area Books for reading and borrowing
Fourth Floor
● Newspapers and Magazines stack area
Fifth Floor
Equipments
The library has a total of 376 computers (319 networked, 57 not) and 300 computers for readers:
● 3 Students' computer rooms with approximately 260 Internet accessed computers used for free
● Teachers’ computer room is equipped with 13 computers, 1 printer, 1 scanner to serve the teachers and staff of the school
● Reading area: 03 reading rooms with a total of 3,585 m2 wide and about
1000 seats for individual study (3rd floor: 230 seats, 4th floor: 330 seats, 5th floor: 440 seats)
● 6 computers with My Opact search engine for students to look up documents in the library
● 33 computers for professional service at the library
● Thematic room has been installed with 37 computers, 01 projector and sound system that serve the reporting of thematic teaching plans with a capacity of 50 people
● Reference room holds conferences and seminars with a capacity of 50 people.
Documents
The library resources are catalogued by the International Standard AACR2, MARC 21 format and classified to the Dewey decimal classification system (DDC)
● 3,512 grey literature records (thesis, master's thesis, graduate thesis, topics of scientific research )
● 1.110 records include 03 collection of Greenstone (collection of poems written by Ly Tran, An Giang historical sites, Cuu Long Delta fishs collection)
● 3.052 research articles about VietNam records
Service
Basic services
● Refer on-the-spot documents (references documents, Asian Foundation book repository, grey literature, newspapers and magazines).
● Print and copy documents as required (Scan, photo)
Ms Le Xuan Nga, email: lxnga@agu.edu.vn
Directly at reference desk (fourth floor)
Provide library user accounts for readers
Withdraw books from graduated students and transfered lecturers
Quantity and borrowing time-limit:
Readers: 10 documents/ 21 days/ extended 7 days
Memberships: 15 documents/ 21 days/ extended 7 days
Readers’ borrowing time-limit will be extended if there is 01 document in stock and the others have no need to borrow
Readers can return books overtime at the 24/7 bookshelves (laboratory and ground floor- library and centers)
Ms.Truong Ngoc Mai Anh, email: tnmanh@agu.edu.vn
Directly at the circulation desk (third floor)
Location: fourth and fifth floor equipped with 265 computers
Install basic application programs such as Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office
Install specialized softwares according to students’ request
Location: fourth floor equipped with 13 computers, 1 printer and 1 scanner
Equipped necessary computer programs for teaching and researching
To use the library computers, you please contact the room manager directly
Mr.Vo Thanh Phi, email: vtphi@agu.edu.vn
Discussion room is Equipped for 40 seats to serve staff, organize conferences, seminars, party admission, thematic report by lecturers and students
1 Readers only register to use one week in advance
2 Readers can register in small groups, each group of more than 10 people
3 Keep clean hygiene and preserve the conference room during the using time
4 Do not arbitrarily move, repair and adjustment of equipment in the room
5 If you damage the equipment in conference, you will have to compensate for the loss
6 Checking out and sign the conference register after use
Directly at the circulation desk (third floor)
Research room service equipped with about 12 computers for staff, lecturers and students to look up documents, study online, and refer on-the-spot documents according to training programs
1 Readers only register for personal use of the day
2 Keep clean hygiene and preserve the research bureau during the using time
3 Do not arbitrarily move, repair and adjustment of equipment in the room
4 Readers e-learning, borrowing headphone equipment at the circulation desk
5 Readers have to register for use before entering research bureau
Directly at the circulation desk (third floor).
Advanced service
Document delivery on order (within campus)
Step 1: Register to borrow documents in 1 of 2 ways:
Option 1: Fill out the documents borrow request form and put in the 24/7 return bookcase (at library laboratory and ground floor and centers (or) in the experimental – practice areas)
Option 2: fill out the online documents borrow request
Step 2: Receive documents after 1 day of registration at the following location:
At the circulation desk, third floor- library and centers service hours according to regulations
In the experimental – practice areas (morning: 8:30am – 9:00am, afternoon: 14:30pm-15:00pm)
At the office (for readers who are staff and lecturers) according to the registration schedule in office hours
Mr.Le Thien My, email: ltmy@agu.edu.vn
The library will provide readers with a catalog of document related to the required topic
The library will make external sources with fees in other libraries available when they have reader’s consent
Ms.Đo Thi Be Tu, email: dtbtu@agu.edu.vn
Directly at the ASK Me desk (third floor)
Ask online question or log in with the school email system
Consulting and answering common problems such as installing and repairing computers; correct, format text, design and create advanced effects for powerpoints
Mr.Vo Thanh Phi, email: vtphi@agu.edu.vn
Directly at technical assistance desk
Readers will be reminded to return document via text or email to avoid overdue documents
6.2.5 Introduce new and specialist documents:
Readers will receive a new category of documents relate to the specialist being researched.
Database remote access service of central library –
The remote access provisioning service helps readers exploit more than 20 reputable electronic resources from the central library, Ho Chi Minh city Nation University supplement, such as :
International research database: ScienceDirect, ASME (American Society Of Mechanical Engineers), Web Of Science, Nature, MathSciNet, IG PUBLISHING, MathSciNet, Gale Cengage Learning…
Vietnam research database:View Data statistical database, Sachweb.vn (Vietnamese ebook), scientific and technological documents of the National
Science and Technology Department of Vietnam, domestic science magazine
Full-text digital collection: books, lectures, dissertations on training disciplines of member of Ho Chi Minh City National University
Civil servants, office- holders,employees working at AGU: FREE
Students, guest lecturers, foreigners who are working and studying at AGU
Registration fee Renewal fee Account re-issue fee
Registration fee Renewal fee Account re-issue fee
Library card: 95.000VND 50.000 VND/ YEAR
Grant access of the databases:
Registration form grants remote access
Confirmation of working unit (For non-AGU reader members)
Registered by faculty / class: Unit ID registration form
Directly at the circulation or Ask me desk third floor library at AGU and centers Tel: 0296 625 65 65 -1604
Ms Nguyen Thi Cam Thieu, email: ntcthieu@agu.edu.vn
On my first day of internship, I was introduced to the library by my supervisor, Ms Nguyen Ngoc Anh Thu, the IT Leader, who provided an overview of its history and curriculums I was given the freedom to explore any floor of the library as long as I completed my tasks My primary responsibilities included translating Vietnamese news to English for e-News, along with various other multitasks throughout the eight-week internship.
E-news translation
During my internship at AGU Library, I contributed to E-News by translating Vietnamese news related to AGU The majority of the articles focused on events such as openings, collaborations, and award ceremonies Notably, there were no strict deadlines for these translations, allowing for a more thorough approach to the content.
Initially, I believed that translating involved a selective, word-by-word approach similar to in-class lessons, but I soon realized this was a misconception To alleviate my confusion, Ms Thu introduced us to the 5W1H formula for news translation, which has proven to be invaluable.
What?: What was the news about?
Where?: Where did the event occur?
When?: When was the event occurred
Who?: Who joined/ attended the event?
Why?: What was the aim of the event? What advantage did it bring?
How?: The process of the event?
By using this formula, the news has noticeably been shortened but its contents still straightforward and compact for readers
On the other hand, I cannot apply this formula in news about accepting scientific reports since they were mainly about important detailed research
In the first week, I received the Vietnamese news article from Ms Nguyen Ngoc Anh Thu, the IT Leader, and spent half a day translating it into English Although my supervisors did not expect perfection for my first translation, I aimed to minimize errors I completed the translation within a day and a half and sent it to Ms Nguyen Thi Hong Loan, the library Board Director, for review Subsequently, she called me to her office to provide feedback and correct any mistakes.
To make this progress more clearly, this is one of my translated news:
Lễ ký kết hợp tác với Công ty Cổ phần Tập đoàn Lộc Trời và trao học bổng cho sinh viên
Sáng 1/3/2021, Trường Đại học An Giang (ĐHQG-HCM) đã tổ chức lễ ký kết hợp tác với Công ty Cổ phần Tập đoàn Lộc Trời
Trong buổi lễ, Công ty Cổ phần Lộc Trời có sự tham dự của bà Nguyễn Thị Thanh Vân - Giám đốc Quỹ Chăm sóc Sức khỏe Nông dân, bà Lê Thị Minh Trang - Trưởng Phòng Nhân sự Công ty Dịch vụ Nông nghiệp Lộc Trời, và bà Trần Nguyễn Hạ Trang – Phó Viện trưởng Viện Nghiên cứu Nông nghiệp Lộc Trời Đến từ Trường ĐHAG, có PGS.TS Hồ Thanh Bình – Phó Hiệu Trưởng, cùng với đại diện lãnh đạo các khoa, phòng ban và trung tâm.
Hai bên thống nhất hợp tác trong một số hoạt động chính: (1) Liên kết đào tạo;
Trường ĐHAG tạo điều kiện thuận lợi cho sinh viên tiếp cận doanh nghiệp và cơ sở thực tập, đồng thời định hướng nghề nghiệp và mở ra cơ hội việc làm cho sinh viên sau khi tốt nghiệp Ngoài ra, trường còn phối hợp thực hiện các nghiên cứu cơ bản và nghiên cứu ứng dụng trong sản xuất Bà Nguyễn Thị Thanh Vân, đại diện Công ty Cổ phần Tập đoàn Lộc Trời, đánh giá cao những thành tựu và công tác đào tạo của Trường ĐHAG Với việc ký kết hợp tác, bà tin tưởng rằng hai đơn vị sẽ đạt được nhiều thành công và phát triển hơn nữa.
Trong buổi lễ, Công ty Cổ phần Tập đoàn Lộc Trời đã trao học bổng trị giá 18 triệu đồng cho 9 sinh viên xuất sắc ngành Trồng trọt và Bảo vệ thực vật Sinh viên nhận học bổng sẽ có cơ hội được tuyển dụng làm việc lâu dài tại công ty sau khi tốt nghiệp Đại diện cho các sinh viên, bạn Huỳnh Thị Trúc Linh – DH18BT2 đã gửi lời cảm ơn đến Công ty Lộc Trời và nhà trường vì đã tạo điều kiện thuận lợi trong quá trình học tập Bạn hứa sẽ nỗ lực học tập, tích lũy kinh nghiệm thực tế và hoàn thành khóa học với kết quả cao nhất.
Phó Hiệu trưởng Hồ Thanh Bình của Trường ĐHAG bày tỏ niềm vui khi ký kết hợp tác với Tập đoàn Lộc Trời và gửi lời cảm ơn đến công ty vì đã hỗ trợ học bổng cho sinh viên Ông nhấn mạnh rằng học bổng này sẽ là động lực giúp sinh viên hoàn thành tốt khóa học Đồng thời, ông cũng căn dặn các sinh viên nhận học bổng cần ghi nhớ sự hỗ trợ từ công ty và khi ra trường, nếu có cơ hội, hãy làm việc hết mình để góp phần vào thành công của công ty, qua đó khẳng định chất lượng đào tạo của nhà trường.
Hữu Nghị - TV AGU E-News
Signing and awarding scholarships ceremony with Loc Troi Group Joint Stock Company
On March 1, 2021, An Giang University (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) held a signing ceremony with Loc Troi Group Joint Stock Company
The two parties have reached an agreement to collaborate on key initiatives, which include launching joint training programs, providing students with access to enterprises and internship opportunities, guiding post-graduates in career orientation and employment prospects, and coordinating efforts in fundamental and applied research in agriculture.
Loc Troi Group JSC awarded scholarships of 18 million VND each to nine outstanding students in Cultivation and Plant Protection during a recent ceremony Additionally, the company will scout these awarded students for long-term employment opportunities upon their graduation.
Huu Nghi Translated by Minh Nhut
I initially struggled with spelling, grammar, and phrasing, which made my writing difficult for foreign readers to comprehend Additionally, I overly condensed the content using the 5W1H formula, risking offense to the original writer However, with Ms Loan's valuable advice and guidance, I successfully revised the news article, eliminating errors and ensuring clarity, and it was uploaded to e-News two days later.
Signing and awarding scholarships ceremony with Loc Troi Group Joint Stock Company
In March 2021, An Giang University (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) held a signing ceremony with Loc Troi Group Joint Stock Company
The ceremony was attended by notable figures including Dr Ho Thanh Binh, Vice-Rector of AGU (VNU-HCM), alongside representatives from Ngoc Troi JSC, such as Ms Nguyen Thi Thanh Van, President of the Health Care Fund for Farmers, Ms Le Thi Minh Trang, HR Manager of Loc Troi Group JSC, and Ms Tran Nguyen Ha Trang, Deputy Director of the Loc Troi Agricultural Research Institute.
Dr Ho Thanh Binh, Vice-Rector of AGU (VNU-HCM) Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) as representative
The two parties have committed to collaborating on key initiatives, including the execution of joint training programs, providing students with access to enterprises and internship opportunities, and offering vocational orientation and employment prospects for post-graduates Additionally, they will coordinate efforts in both fundamental and applied research within the agricultural sector.
Loc Troi Group JSC recently awarded scholarships of 18 million VND each to nine outstanding students in Cultivation and Plant Protection In addition to financial support, the company will also scout these students for long-term employment opportunities upon their graduation.
Vice-Rector Ho Thanh Binh of AGU expressed gratitude for the cooperation agreement and scholarships provided by Loc Troi Group JSC He encouraged students to value the company's support and to strive for excellence, contributing to the company's success after graduation, while also affirming the high quality of training at AGU.
Huu Nghi – TV Translated by Minh Nhut
Some of my others translated news:
Picture 5: AGU student won awards at Student Art Exhibition
Picture 6: The opening ceremony of Master courses in Finace -
II Writting reflects and promoting American Hangout corner’s books
In my second task, I focused on writing reflections on various library books across genres such as philosophy, literature, poetry, and art To craft a meaningful review, I prioritized selecting a book that genuinely captured my interest After three days of searching, I chose "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London, dedicating an additional two days to complete the reading.
Taking shifts at the American Corner
For the past four weeks, my colleagues and I have been assisting AGU students at the American Hangout corner with their English language homework and lessons Our shifts began at 7:00 A.M., though the library's opening could be delayed by up to 15 minutes due to varying work schedules Upon starting my shift, I would head to the circulation desk to collect three sets of headphones for student loans and two recording diaries to log the names, student codes, and phone numbers of those borrowing equipment This system helps us track borrowed items and maintain the library's resources effectively.
Picture 10: Now Try something weirder -
Michael Johnson tracks the number of students utilizing the Innovative Corner during each shift, providing supervisors with valuable insights into the effectiveness of their learning space model This data allows for immediate problem-solving when issues arise, such as a notably low visitor count on a particular day In this case, the low attendance was attributed to hot and humid weather conditions, exacerbated by the library's insufficient number of fans, leading many students to opt out of visiting.
As part of the AGU mentor program, my colleagues and I are dedicated to assisting students with their English homework and language skills, including listening, speaking, reading, writing, and grammar However, due to the program's recent launch, awareness among students is limited, resulting in our ability to support only a small number of individuals.
Picture 11: The American Hangout Corner
Hosting Earth Day mini gameshow
During our internship, we organized a study game show focused on environmental awareness, which was announced by Ms Loan in the seventh week and took place on Thursday of the eighth week Our team dedicated three days to brainstorming the perfect theme for the program outline, and with Ms Loan's guidance, we ultimately chose "Recycling" as our central topic.
After completing the themes, we focused on designing an advertisement banner and writing scripts, with my co-workers handling the scripts and me taking on the banner design My design philosophy emphasizes simplicity, clarity, and artistry, leading me to limit the information on the advertisement to a brief description for AGU Library’s Facebook fan page However, my supervisor disagreed, emphasizing the need for the advertisement to be informative rather than just visually appealing Consequently, I sought input from my co-workers again, who provided valuable assistance in redesigning the banner to meet the advertisement's requirements.
After completing the pre-preparation phase, our final task was to identify our audience and arrange gifts for them Given that our project was relatively small, our supervisor advised us to aim for about 15 attendees To achieve this target, we leveraged our connections and sought assistance from volunteers.
Ms Loan to gather some of their acquaintances and other students who were using the library
The program commenced at 8:30 A.M at the American Hangout on the third floor of the AGU Library It featured engaging questions about personal experiences with the environment and self-awareness, followed by a presentation highlighting how individuals can contribute to Earth’s well-being through small actions like recycling The event concluded with an inspiring speech encouraging everyone to take action for the planet.
Picture 13: Ms Nguyen Thi Hong Loan annouces the opening of the show
Picture 14: Student answers the quizz
Advantages
As the first intern at AGU Library in nearly a decade, I received exceptional hospitality from my supervisors, who tailored my tasks to align with my background as an English major Their precise feedback allowed me to identify and learn from my mistakes effectively Additionally, the unwavering support from the library staff fostered a friendly and collaborative atmosphere, making it an ideal workplace for my professional growth.
Disadvantages
During my internship, I faced numerous challenges, primarily stemming from my anxiety as it was my first experience in a specialized environment I worried that my lack of experience would lead to mistakes and negatively impact my performance.
Overcoming my initial struggles with teamwork and communication was challenging due to my long period as a shut-in, which made social interactions difficult However, with the support of Ms Loan, Ms Thu, and my co-workers, I was able to conquer my anxiety and significantly improve my social skills.
Time management posed a challenge for me, as supervisors did not provide specific deadlines, forcing me to establish my own While this may seem straightforward to some, it was difficult for me due to my accustomed fixed schedule Consequently, I had to adapt and learn how to navigate this issue effectively.
After experiencing burnout from translating and reviewing books, I realized that what initially seemed easy became overwhelming over time The most noticeable challenges I faced were burnout and writer's block Although reading and writing require time to develop, the pressure of producing work daily became a heavy burden Acknowledging this issue, I decided to slow down my pace, understanding that continuing to rush would likely lead to poor or unacceptable results.
What I have learned
Thanks for the internship, I received and improved many skills in both of my learning and socializing:
Many vocabularies about journalism, degree and levels from the news I translated
Speaking skill from hosting game shows
Socializing with strangers and co-worker
Skill in learning: o Translating with journalistic style o Skimming and scanning reading
Conclusion
To sum up, the internship has given me a great chance to work in an
English-specified environment and received many valuable experiences that books and theories themselves cannot teach
This experience marks my first opportunity to collaborate with diverse individuals rather than just friends or acquaintances, significantly enhancing my social skills that I have struggled to develop over the years.
I am grateful for my instructors, my teacher, my friends, my co- workers, the library staff and my parents because of their assistance
The internship not only a chance to work and improve my skills, but also a chance to meet new people, make new friends and learn how to become a more responsible adult.
Suggestions
Suggestions for AGU Library
The AGU Library has seen significant improvements recently, yet the hot weather during my internship, particularly in the afternoons, deterred some students from visiting To enhance the library experience, it is essential to address the long-standing issues with the air conditioning system or consider installing additional fans to lower the temperature.
Suggestion for An Giang University
Through my experience with translation work at the library, I've come to understand that much of our knowledge is rooted in theory, which may assist students in achieving good grades but falls short in practical application To better prepare students for real-world challenges, universities should offer more hands-on classes that provide valuable life experiences.